University Residency Requirement
At NIU, all freshmen (students that have under 24 hours of NIU-accepted college credit) who have not reached their 21st birthday by September 1 and are not residing with their parents or legal guardians are required to live on campus for their first year.
All students bound by the residency requirement must:
- Complete a Housing and Residential Services contract
- Or request a residency requirement exemption and submit supporting documentation (see below) according to reason you give.
See If the Residency Requirement Applies to You
Have you already signed a residence hall contract?
If you've already signed a housing contract, you can no longer make a residency requirement exemption
request. Instead, you may make a contract
release request that we will review and either approve or deny.
How many NIU-accepted college credit hours do you have before the academic year begins?
Contact Registration and Records for help figuring out how many credit hours you currently have.
You are not required to live on campus.
Will you be at least 21 years old by September 1 of the academic year you'll be taking classes at NIU?
You are not required to live on campus.
Are you living with your parents or legal guardians?
You must request an exemption if you're commuting from a permanent home address within a 50-mile radius of DeKalb. Submit a residency requirement exemption request and a notarized application to commute. Otherwise, you're required to live on campus.
Note that living with siblings, friends or in family-owned subsidiary housing in which the parent or guardian does not permanently reside does not meet the standards for an exemption.
Are you planning on commuting from a permanent home address within a 50-mile radius of DeKalb?
You must request an exemption if you're commuting from a permanent home address within a 50-mile radius of DeKalb and you are living with your parents or legal guardians. Submit a residency requirement exemption request and a notarized application to commute. Otherwise, you're required to live on campus.
Note that living with siblings, friends or in family-owned subsidiary housing in which the parent or guardian does not permanently reside does not meet the standards for an exemption.
You must live on campus or be granted an exemption to the residency requirement. You can request an exemption for another reason, like having at least a year of military service or being the custodial parent of a dependent child. Keep reading below for a list of valid reasons and how to request an exemption.
Reasons for Requesting an Exemption
Marriage
A student can request an exemption if they are married. A copy of the marriage certificate must accompany the exemption request.
Submit to Housing:
- A residency requirement exemption request.
- A copy of your marriage certificate.
Please email these documents to housing@niu.edu with the subject "Residency Exemption Request".
Alternatively, you can mail the request and supporting documentation to:
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Custodial parent of a dependent child
A student can request an exemption if they are the custodial parent of a dependent child. A copy of the birth certificate or court documentation of guardianship must accompany the exemption request.
Submit to Housing:
- A residency requirement exemption request.
- A copy of the birth certificate or court documentation of guardianship.
Please email these documents to housing@niu.edu with the subject "Residency Exemption Request".
Alternatively, you can mail the request and supporting documentation to:
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Commuting from a permanent home address
A student can request an exemption if they are commuting from a permanent home address. Living with siblings, friends or in family-owned subsidiary housing in which the parent or guardian does not permanently reside does not meet the standards for an exemption. During COVID-19, Living with siblings, friends or in family-owned subsidiary housing in which the parent or guardian does not permanently reside will be accepted.
Submit to Housing:
Please email these documents to housing@niu.edu with the subject "Residency Exemption Request".
Alternatively, you can mail the request and supporting documentation to:
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Military service
A student can request an exemption if they have served at least one year in the military.
Submit to Housing:
- A residency requirement exemption request.
- A copy of discharge papers.
Please email these documents to housing@niu.edu with the subject "Residency Exemption Request".
Alternatively, you can mail the request and supporting documentation to:
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
Other exceptional circumstances
If you believe you have a unique situation that would qualify you for an exemption from the University Residency Requirement, you may submit a personal narrative describing the situation and documentation to support your case.
Other exemptions are very rare and are not typically granted to allow students to live in other off-campus housing with friends or other family members.
Submit to Housing:
- A residency requirement exemption request.
- A personal narrative and any documentation to support your case.
Please email these documents to housing@niu.edu with the subject "Residency Exemption Request".
Alternatively, you can mail the request and supporting documentation to:
Housing and Residential Services
Neptune East 101
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
If You Are Not Granted an Exemption and Do Not Sign up for On-Campus Housing
If you are not granted an exemption and do not sign up for on-campus housing, you will automatically have a Housing and Residential Services standard double room billing for a full semester's room rate sent to your NIU Bursar's account for the first semester you are enrolled in an academic year (August – May).
If you do not complete one of these options by the end of the first week of classes your first semester (or within 30 days of a late admission date), you will be billed a $100 contract service charge if the requested exemption is granted.
Students who do not complete one of these options and have been billed through the University Residency Requirement will only be considered for a refund if they request a University Residency Requirement Exemption Request within the first semester they are enrolled. Requests for contract billing changes after the last class day of the first semester enrolled will not be considered for a refund. The university does not waive finance or late fee charges for students who have not submitted their exemption requests before classes begin their first semester enrolled.